On to Baltimore

I'm getting ready to run the Baltimore Half-Marathon on Saturday. This has been a year in the making and a testament to the notion that sometimes failure can lead to bigger and better things. Last year, I got injured trying to train for my first half-marathon. True, injury isn't personal failure, but when I set a goal, I like to achieve it, and I was upset when I didn't. But the injury led to swimming in the morning. And as I swam with two arms and one leg at first and watched the sun rise outside the window of the pool, I thought that maybe I should join the master's swim team. The triathlon seed had already been planted in my mind from a serendipitous combination of events, and I gradually began building up a base in three sports. I knew deep down that a stronger base was what I needed for the half marathon.

I used the same training plan this year from John Bingham's book, Marathoning for Mortals. (No, it's not a free plan online; you have to buy the book.) I really like his brand of good common sense. But this time around, I took the plan and made several modifications to suit my tastes:

• Walk/Run plan--I scaled back and used this plan, and all of my runs are built around some type of walk/run ratio. However, I've modified the ratios in the plans to suit my preferences, and my brainpower, as I find a ratio based on a 5- or 10-minute interval is easier to work with. My mid-week runs focus on my favorite run/walk 7/3 ratio, and later 8/2. I did some long runs based on the 3/2 ratio in the plan, but later I went to a 4/1 ratio and latched onto that.
• Mid-week treadmill runs--I read that it's easier on the knees, so all of my mid-week runs were on the treadmill instead of outdoors, which was challenging when I began the program in summer when it was light out in the morning and in the mid-70 degrees in the afternoon. The runs were time-based, and I modified the plan so that these runs approximated the longer time called for in the "run half marathon" plan.
• Interval workouts--I don't really know what's properly considered an "interval" as I'm not all that familiar with running terminology or speedwork. the plan called for a moderate run + form strides. But I switched to an "interval" run in which I alternate running-walking a slower and faster level on my treadmill, using a ratio that suits my mood. Later, for the last minute or two, I used an even faster level.
• Centennial Park long runs--I didn't do any hill work, but I knew the race course is hilly, so I did all of my long runs (with the exception of recovery week runs) on the hilly IronGirl route.
• Swimming and cycling--each week, I've done two workouts with the swim team and I tried to go cycling on Sundays, but then my knee hurt on Mondays, so I quit cycling for a while.
• Core workouts--my goal was to do 2-3 core workouts a week, but I find them really boring and slacked off.
• Massage--I went to a really great masseuse who I highly recommend!! This is probably the most selfish, frivilous expenditure I've ever made, but I enjoyed every single minute. Even without telling her the exact spot that I’m sore, she’ll find it and massage it.
  
  At heart, though, I’m a complete wimp. I like working out, but I hate the soreness. Even so, I cancelled a few appointments when things were going well and subsequently had a few cases of Monday Morning DOMS. After working out on the weekend, I'd waddle into work and take the elevator--right up to the second floor. It's silly. Of course as I continue to run, I’ve discovered other favorite home remedies, like foam rolling, self-massage, icing, hot Epsom salt baths, and cold water baths after a long run.

Instead of a public training blog, I kept a private journal, but I was grateful to be able to compare how I was feeling this year with what I wrote last year on my blog. I knew exactly at what point in the training program that I crashed and burned last year, and as the weeks went by, I began to get increasingly optimistic...and excited.

Of course, there were challenges...like the week my migraine stole my motivation...and moments of utter and complete stupidity...like when I inadvertently gave myself frostnip with my ice pack....and technical challenges...like when I bought a new Nike+iPod sensor, then had to buy a whole new system to get it to work, but then I lost a sensor on the run, so it worked out OK...and injury...I developed tendinitis on the top of my right foot during the taper. I iced and took ibuferin. I didn't swim last week for various reasons, and then when I went back to swimming this week, I re-injured the area and now it's worse than before, which concerns me. I fully expect that my foot will be talking to me several miles in the race. I've heard that everything hurts more in the taper, but this is getting ridiculous. Every part of my body that's ever bothered me is now making itself announced. I woke up this morning with a sore back....from sleeping??!!!! Hear me whine and see me foam roll!!!

But things could be worse. Earlier this week, the weather called for light rain. Now, it's changed to sun. Thousands of runners must have done a dance for the sun gods!

Whatever happens Saturday, I am going to try to be pleased with the outcome.

11 miles

Today, I did the longest run I've ever done...11 miles in 2 hours. I'd been looking forward to this run for a long time. I ran the IronGirl route twice, then ran another lap around the park. The run was supposed to be a 10 miler, but I knew the route was longer and I wanted to stary on my feet for 2 hours. I've been using a run/walk ratio of 4/1 and not only is this easier on my body, it doesn't slow me down at all. When I compare my long runs this year to similar runs last year, I find that I'm running just as fast, if not faster. The temperature was cooler, around the mid-60s and it feels like fall weather is starting to come on. I'm training with fingers crossed...and I'll see how it goes!

Off To College, All Too Soon

Photos courtesy of Western State College of Colorado

My son left for college at Western State College of Colorado on August 12. With the high cost of gas, it was prohibitive in time and expense to drive out there, so he took just one duffel bag of clothes, a guitar, and a carryon and flew out to spend a few days with his grandparents in Denver. Afterwards, my son and his cousin drove up to Gunnison where he has a house that his parents bought him which he shares with roommates. Then my son moved into the dorms and started college life.

My son spent the entire summer loafing and complaining that he couldn't get a job because he'd have to ride his bike to work and he'd "get all sweaty." But when he got to Gunnison, he borrowed his cousin's bike to explore the town, and then went to the used sporting goods store and bought his own bike for $25, which he rides everywhere. After sitting on the couch all summer, he started hiking and fishing and seems to enjoy the outdoors and the Colorado mountains.

The first few days after he left went by quickly. All to soon, my husband decided to clean and re-arrange my son's room. After all, the dog kept sniffing for crumbs and food wrappers under the bed. Then, hubby hung up his diploma and other certificates of accomplishment. The room is cleaner than it;s ever been in years...and the door stays closed. My younger son is thrilled that the bathroom is clean and he is the only child in the house.

Not a day goes by when I don't miss him or think about him ... or not-so-surreptitiously check his campus e-mail. I text him ... and wait for his calls. During the first week or two in college, he said "I love you" more than he'd said in the past four years. But as his college life picks up pace, the calls are a bit less frequent. Yesterday, he said he was thrilled to get an A on his first English paper. After not studying during his entire senior year in high school, his study habits are shocking. Of course, he wants us to send money.

I can't believe my son went off to college already!

Sometimes You Need A Bottle of Wine

In the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania there’s the Shade Mountain Vinyards along Route 104 in Middleburg. This winding, rural road also has a number of neat local attractions. Then we turned onto Route 45 which is known as an artisan's trail, a motorcycle route (and we saw a lot of them!) and goes through a state forest.

I so wanted to visit this winery and thought about how romantic it would be to stop at this quaint place and how nice it would be to have a bottle of local wine for dinner. But it was not to be.

Sometimes the things you want are simple and inexpensive. And the things that are romantic are so easy to do…like stopping to see the sights instead of rushing by. Or taking time out of a busy Saturday to talk. Right now, I just wish to catch my breath after a month of travel, but life keeps speeding along.

Camp Woodward

My kid is back from a week at Camp Woodward - the place for skateboarders, BMX bikers, BMX freestyle, inline skating, snowboarding, cheerleaders.

The camp is surrounded by farmland and the mountains of Pennsylvania, and along route 104 we could see Amish buggies and cyclists. The camp has everything an X-games kid could want. Indoor and outdoor ramps...






A pool ... horse stables ... go-carts ... and a video game arcade



His camp counselor was on the Dew tour and is sponsored. My son learned a lot and most of the kids were nice. There were kids from as far away as Australia and Scotland, and they were really good.

He and his friend weren't the best ones there, but he learned a lot. He showed us some of the skills he learned...





I hope he wants to go back next year. If he does, I'm thinking of staying and the lodge.

3Sports Triathlon

This race marks my first distance event ever.

Picking the race was a challenge. I wanted a pool start, which would be logistically simpler, and the bike course had to be relatively flat. My summer consists of two conferences, a family vacation, a son's graduation and then going off to college and another son's camps. This made for a logistical challenge. I didn't want to commit to IronGirl, the race to which I was emotionally attached, because my son was going off to college around that time and I wasn't sure there would be a time conflict. And before I could figure out my schedule, the race sold out. Total bummer!! After researching just about every race in the vicinity, I picked 3Sports Triathlon in Richmond, VA because it met all of my criteria. But I fretted that doing a major race after a vacation and just days before a business conference was unwise.

In the weeks leading up to the race, I couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Unlike the disappointing injury before what would have been my first half marathon, I wasn't injured. True, I woke up one morning on vacation with the outside of my knee hurting, but I'd done a big brick, run, and bike ride in the preceding days. It was a week from the race and I decided that I was done training and would do a major taper. All I did was go to one swim practice. I was ready to go.

About 1.5 weeks prior to the race, I took a tip from a member of the swim team, and did a bike-run brick the approximate length of the race course. This simulated the fatigue of the run and boosted my confidence.

I made the race into a mother-son trip with my 18-year-old son who has been pestering me to drive the car all summer and let him drive. Of course, I put up with him fiddling with the radio before every major exit and playing the music loud. But the simple overnight trip gave us the chance to talk. I found out that he wants to be a beach lifeguard, as he thinks it's the perfect, easy summer job. But I enjoyed listening to him sing, and discussing the lyrics to his favorite songs, and just talking with him. He doesn't want to do a triathlon, but even more important, he thanked me for brining him and had a good time.

I was so VERY nervous about the race. I did not think that I could do this. I worried that I hadn't trained enough. I had a lot of ambivalence and even thought of backing out of the race. I thought that I'd lost my mind to think that I could do a triathlon. What was I thinking when I got this big idea a year ago to do a triathlon??

Before the race, I visualized each part of the race and strategies I could use. I also researched some positive affirmations to tell myself throughout the race, which was a great strategy.

Here's the transition area. I got there later than I wanted to and had to move quickly to set up. I really liked the way the bike and run exits were market. That made it really easy.




Photo courtesy of Citadel1980 on Flickr

Soon, I was waiting nevrously outside the pool area for the race to begin.

Photo courtesy of Citadel1980 on Flickr

Swim - sharks rule
300 meters - 6:58
I seeded myself too fast. I gave them an honest time, but this psyched me out completely. If I do another pool start race, I'll add a minute or two to my estimated time. I tried to be courteous and let the faster people pass me. Knowing that the two toughest events are coming up, I tend to look at the swim as a refreshing warmup.

Exiting the pool...

T1 - 2:47
I'd actually practiced my transition the night before, working on assembling myself from head to toe. However, in the heat of the moment, I worked from toe to head. Someone gave me a great tip on how to roll up your socks and stick them in your shoe and this helped, as did having speed laces for my bike shoes. I decided to wear the bike shoes because I wanted to reduce the numb foot problem, which still bothers me.

Bike - going it alone
12 miles - 46:13
I had envisioned riding in a group, but my biggest surprise was that for most of the bike course, I didn't see many people. I drove the course the night before and I could see that it was relatively flat, with a few very gently rolling hills and some incline-type hills. This was much easier terrain than I'd been practicing on, which was a major confidence booster.



T2 - 2:30

Run - splat!
5K - 34:02
This was an out and back course. I was tired by this time and the run seemed to go on forever. My goal was to run to the turnaround point before walking, but I began walking and running before then. As I ran back, I suddenly went SPLAT as I tripped and fell on the sidewalk. I don't know whether I tripped on the sidewalk - or just my own feet! This gave me skinned knees and hands, an embarrassing moment, and a pesky injury. I'll have to remember to pick up my feet while running, even if I'm tired.

Finally at the finish line!



Photo courtesy of Citadel1980 on Flickr

My goal for the race was to finish and come in with a respectable time. I came in at 1:32:28, and while happy, I felt that I could have been faster. This race was the perfect first-timer event.

I have the urge to sign up for another triathlon. In 2009, it will be IronGirl or bust!

Women's Distance Festival 5K

I wanted to do this race for several years, after volunteering at another race and hearing someone comment that this was a fun race to run. Yesterday was the first time I got the chance to do it. Last year I was injured and the previous year I was on vacation. And the volunteer was right -- it's a fun race.

I wasn't really sure how I'd do in the race because when I woke up, my muscles were sore from gardening the day before. I did my at-home stretching exercices and then used the foam roller. When I got there, I did some stretching and then a short jog. And pretty soon we were off. I tried to hit my chrono button on my watch at the starting line, but the starting line wasn't clearly marked so I wasn't sure if I passed it or not. The course was really flat, except for one small hill. I know I started out fast, and I was surprised to see my 1 mile time, but I thought that had to be wrong...at 2 miles, I was still doing good but slowing down. I felt like I was really slow and dragging...but my surprise was the finish line clock which showed that I was coming in for my fastest 5K ever. I'm happy, but deep down inside, I still feel that I could have pushed myself more.

I think I need some positive affirmations during races. Something besides, "I'm tired. I'm in the middle of the pack...Where's the finish line?" My goal will be to think of some positive affirmations to tell myself during my next race.

Overall, a really fun race. They served watermellon after the race, which is the perfect post-race food. I never feel like eating after I run hard and races with a lavish post-race buffet make me feel like it's a waste. The watermellon was cool, juicy, and perfect on this hot and humid day. I chatted with a few other women, and it was a nice time.

Above: I always look like a grumpy old lady in race photos. I'm wearing my "girly" outfit with a running skirt for this all-woman race.